


Whirlwind

by WasJustAReader



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: 2.09 Election Night: Part II, Episode Tag, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 17:56:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4574205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WasJustAReader/pseuds/WasJustAReader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will takes Mac home post-"Election Night: Part II."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whirlwind

**Author's Note:**

> Originally (and still) posted on fanfiction.net in June 2015.

It was nearly two in the morning by the time Will managed to escape the festivities in the bullpen.

Pushing open the door to his dark office he was surprised to find Mac perched on the edge of his desk, head in her hands. She had left the bullpen a few minutes ahead of him and was already wearing her coat and her purse was on the floor by her feet.

"Mac?" Will said softly, stepping into the room.

She raised a hand to stop him, shaking her head before flinching and bringing both hands back to her temples.

"MacKenzie." Worried now.

"I grabbed my things and came in here to wait for you," she said tensely. "And then I… Will?"

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, rushing forward.

Mac looked at him for a moment before paling and lurching in the direction of his bathroom. "I think I'm going to be sick."

And sure enough, what little was in her stomach came back up violently. Will, holding back her hair and rubbing small circles on her back noticed how quickly she was reduced to dry heaves.

"Mac? When was the last time you ate?" he asked, concerned.

Sitting back on her heels and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she replied softly "I think I had too much champagne."

"That wasn't my question. Answer the question, Mac."

She sighed and stood shakily, avoiding Will's gaze. After rinsing her mouth and washing her hands she murmured "I had an orange and a yogurt around lunchtime, I think."

Will sighed heavily. "Okay." He was outwardly calm but on the inside he was screaming. _Jesus, Mac, that was over 12 hours ago! How long did you go before that? And you drank! When was the last time you slept?_

"Can we get out of here, please?" Mac whispered, finally meeting Will's eyes with her own bloodshot, glassy orbs.

"Absolutely," Will managed, resting a hand on the small of her back and guiding her out of the bathroom.

An unspoken agreement was made that Lonny would drive the pair back to Will's for the night. The ride was silent other than the quiet murmur of some smooth jazz radio station Lonny had on up front.

About halfway to Will's they braked hard at a light to avoid a swerving taxi and Mac's head jerked forward from its position on the head rest. Her eyes flew open and her hand instinctively grabbed Will's on the seat beside her in a death grip. She took a deep breath in through her nose and closed her eyes again, but with every slight bump or jostle from then until they pulled up to Will's building her nails dug deeper into the flesh on the back of his hand.

After thanking Lonny and informing him that they were in for the night, Will ushered Mac out of the car, taking her purse and keeping a firm grip on her elbow as she stepped to the curb.

"You alright?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist as they entered the elevator. Her eyes were closed again, but she opened them when she replied.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy."

Stepping out of the elevator and unlocking his front door Will – one hand still firmly around Mac's waist – was on a mission.

"Okay, Mac. I need you to do something for me, okay?"

MacKenzie looked so small and lost standing in his entryway but she nodded slowly in response.

"I need you to come with me to the couch and lie down, okay? I'm gonna make you some food – whatever I have that can be done quickly – and you're gonna eat and then I need you to sleep, okay? Do you think you can do that for me? We'll find you something more comfortable to wear and you can sleep. I need you to be okay, Mac. I need you take care of yourself. You need to rest," Will says firmly but his eyes betray the fear and begging behind his demands.

Mac just stares at him for a moment – long enough for Will's anxiety to kick itself up another notch – before speaking. "Am I – am I to sleep on the couch?" she asks in a tiny voice but with a hint of a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Will lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding with a choked laugh. "God, no, of course not! We'll both sleep in my bed. That is, I mean… if you want to…" He was getting nervous again.

Mac managed a small laugh before running the back of her hand softly across Will's cheek. "I said yes, Billy. You have me, don't worry," she whispered. "But you're going to have to get me down somewhere soon before I fall over."

Confidence bolstered, Will was back in action immediately, getting Mac settled under a blanket on the couch and rushing off to scrounge up something edible in the kitchen.

Half an hour later and Mac had finished a grilled cheese sandwich and a large glass of water but was barely able to keep her eyes open. Ignoring her protests that she could "walk just fine myself, Billy!" Will scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. She was lighter than he remembered. _God, Mac, why didn't I notice sooner? How long has it been like this?_

Depositing her ceremoniously on her side of the bed he began rummaging in his closet for something she could wear, finally settling on a pair of flannel pajama pants that he hoped would fit with the drawstring pulled tight and a t-shirt.

Mac shed her work clothes thoughtlessly in a pile on the floor and replaced them with Will's offerings. She was practically swimming in his clothes, but it didn't matter.

Will nodded his head toward the bathroom. "There's a new toothbrush in the mirror cabinet if you want."

Mac nodded and silently went into the bathroom.

By the time she returned Will had changed into pajamas himself and was sitting on the bed, blankets turned down and lights off. "Come on, let's get some sleep" he said quietly, holding out a hand toward her.

MacKenzie climbed into bed and burrowed deep under the covers. As soon as Will settled in next to her she pressed her body flush against his, face buried in his shoulder and legs tangled with his. Slowly Will felt a warm, damp patch seeping through the fabric of his t-shirt.

"Oh, Mac, shh, it's okay. It's alright. You're okay. You're gonna be okay. I'm right here. Just relax. Sleep, Mac, sleep. You think you can do that for me? You're okay." He murmured, carding his fingers through her hair. "Shh, just relax. I love you. I love you so much, MacKenzie McHale. Please believe me. You're going to be okay. We're going to be okay."

Will didn't know how long they lay there but eventually the tears stopped and Mac's breathing began to slow and even out. Just before she succumbed completely to sleep she craned her neck slightly to try to look at Will's face and whispered "I love you, too."


End file.
